


Self-Control

by MiniNephthys



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 07:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5197595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frisk asks Papyrus how he has such fine control over his magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Self-Control

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this Tumblr post](http://zarla-s.tumblr.com/post/133038368960/some-expressed-concern-at-the-last-comic-that-sans).

“Papyrus?” Frisk asks, in the tone of ‘this is something very important I am about to talk about’. That’s their usual tone, because they don’t talk that much. “Remember when we were in the underground? And you tried to capture me, a lot?”

“I remember!” Papyrus says. “What a great first meeting! I didn’t know back then what you would be captured for, of course.” If so, he would never have gone along with it.

Frisk nods. “When we were fighting, you hurt me a lot, but you never killed me, not even by accident. Other monsters, even monsters not trying to hurt me, they...” They trail off, which is confusing to Papyrus, because naturally Frisk was never killed, or they wouldn’t be here now. But if Frisk says something is true, then Papyrus will believe it’s true, or at least true to Frisk.

“You want to know how I have such impressive control over my magic?” Papyrus asks. “So impressive that I could never accidentally hurt a person more than I intended to?”

They nod again.

“Well, since we are such good friends, I’ll let you in on a secret.” Papyrus leans closer, and Frisk stretches upwards to hear the juicy secret. “My brother... is not very strong.”

They give Papyrus a dubious look.

“I know, it’s hard to believe, isn’t it? That someone related to as great a fighter as me could be less than powerful! But he never trains his bone magic, and he only has one HP. One!” Papyrus sighs. “I’ve tried to get him to at least work out for his own health and safety, but does he listen to me? No!

“Anyway, he’s always been like that. When we were younger, we would roughhouse as brothers do, and I learned then that I couldn’t be too hard on him without seriously injuring him. That’s when I started to learn how to control my magic better. Other monsters may let an attack fly and stop thinking about it, but I can even make an attack weaker in the middle of its course! Fantastic, isn’t it?”

Frisk nods, smiling. “...You’re a good brother.”

“Well, of course I am!” Papyrus pauses before asking, “You really think so?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Glad to hear it. Sans...” The smile slips off Papyrus’ face. “I give Sans a hard time, but I worry about him, too. He’s lazy, but he’s always done so much for me. If anything were to happen to him, I... I don’t know what I’d do. Of course nothing will happen to him with a cool guy like me to protect him, but-”

Frisk sets a hand on Papyrus’ arm. It’s just a little comforting.

“...Nyeh! What am I saying? I have nothing to worry about, and neither does he!” Papyrus is grinning again. “Don’t tell him we had any of this conversation. Especially the first part about him being weak, or the last part. Or the middle. Or any of it.”

Frisk gives him a quick salute.


End file.
